Awami League leader Ziaul Haque Zia dies in custody in Jamalpur

PNN News Desk, Dhaka

Awami League leader Ziaul Haque Zia (67), who was imprisoned in Jamalpur District Jail, has died while ill. His family has alleged that his condition worsened due to a lack of timely and adequate medical treatment.

According to reports, he died on Tuesday night (April 14) while being taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Family sources said that Ziaul Haque Zia was arrested on January 15 this year in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission over alleged irregularities in recruitment at an educational institution in Sadar upazila. He had been suffering from diabetes and other physical complications for a long time. Relatives claimed that although his health deteriorated two days earlier in prison, he was not provided with proper medical care in time.

Ziaul Haque’s son, Zakir Rafid Nafi, said that despite falling ill, his father was not promptly taken to a specialized hospital. The family is currently at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital and has not yet received the body.

Meanwhile, Assistant Director of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Dr. Mohammad Main Uddin Khan, said that Ziaul Haque Zia was brought to the hospital dead at 9:05 pm on Tuesday. His body has been kept in the hospital’s forensic department for autopsy.

Jamalpur District Jail Superintendent Lipi Rani Saha stated that his blood pressure suddenly increased on Tuesday afternoon, after which he was quickly taken to Jamalpur General Hospital. Later, he was referred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

The incident has sparked discussion in th